The Distillery
We are looking east at a new day dawning for Kentucky bourbon with the introduction of Eastern Light Distilling. The exciting new venture headquartered in Morehead, Kentucky is led by seasoned bourbon industry veterans, including an internationally recognized master distiller and a senior industry executive with decades of experience managing and promoting major bourbon brands.
The 230-acre campus will be home to an approximately 50,000 square foot distillery building, rickhouses, a full bottling facility, a unique bourbon tourism experience, a special event space and other operations employing more than 50 full-time staff.
Eastern Light will also become the distillery home for many different craft bourbon brands, offering our partners the unique opportunity to showcase their stories to bourbon enthusiasts and tourists alike.
Honoring Eastern Kentucky
Our founders’ roots run deep in Eastern Kentucky. Master Distiller Caleb Kilburn was born and raised in nearby Bath County and graduated from Morehead State University. Chief Executive Officer Cordell Lawrence’s family hails from nearby Carter County with roots dating back to the 1700s.
Eastern Kentucky is the perfect complement to our mission of transforming the craft bourbon industry. We chose the name Eastern Light because every morning the sun rises in the east illuminating a region marked by natural beauty and abundant resources that is full of culture, ingenuity, and artisans.
We’re proudly contributing to the community’s bright future by investing more than $140 million to create a comprehensive distillery campus that will also foster increased economic development and significant new tourism opportunities in the community. We look forward to honoring the region’s rich local traditions and culture while bringing a tangible piece of our state’s signature bourbon industry to Eastern Kentucky.
The Ingredients for Success
Our new distillery is perfectly positioned to blend all the necessary ingredients Eastern Kentucky has to offer bourbon makers.
We will locally source many of these ingredients and materials that will go into building our facility and producing fine craft bourbon for our partners.
The land where our new distillery will be located not only provides a beautiful setting but is also ideally situated close to I-64 and the Morehead-Rowan County Airport. Our water will flow from the beautiful Cave Run Lake. The corn essential to making our fine bourbon will be cultivated by local farmers. The wood for the barrels that will perfectly age our products will be harvested locally and processed by a neighboring stave mill and cooperage. And last but certainly not least are the people who will help us make Eastern Light Distilling a reality.
We’re honored to call Eastern Kentucky home and look forward to showcasing locally produced products and welcoming many new visitors to the region.
Our Strategic Partners
Eastern Light is proud to partner with some of the best architects, designers, fabricators, financial service providers, and creative experts in Kentucky and beyond to help bring this exciting new project to fruition. Our list of strategic partners includes the following companies:
– Blue & Company
– Buzick Construction Inc.
– Joseph & Joseph Architects
– Kertis Creative
– RunSwitch PR
– Vendome Copper & Brass Works Inc.